Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources on Tuesday said that the Federal Government was committed to deepen Nigerian content in oil and gas industry.

Kachikwu, represented by Mrs Folashade Yemi-Esen, Permanent Secretary in the ministry stated this in Yenagoa during the opening ceremony of the 8th Practical Nigerian Content.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the four-day programme entitled “Nigerian Content: Driving Economic Development and Sustainability Forward” started on Monday and would end on Thursday.

The programme held in collaboration with the Bayelsa Government was to deliberate on required parameters to sustain and increase Nigerian Content in oil and gas.

The minister commended the achievement of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and called for support of job creation initiatives of the present government.

Also speaking, Dr Maikanti Baru, Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said the corporation would partner with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

Baru said the partnership would increase the Nigerian content in oil and gas industry to 90% before 2027.

He added that NNPC was poised to promote development and commercialisation of up-grown technology.

He promised to also collaborate with NCDMB in setting up research clusters with specialty in oil and gas activities.

“NNPC’s focus on localisation cannot be more harped than now, because this concept will ensure that all crude oil for export in the region and globally after meeting local demand.

“We are fully committed to NCDMB’s agenda for the next ten years, to increase Nigerian content in oil and gas industry to 90%.

“This initiative will engender economic development and sustain it through backward and forward integration for local content maximization of various industries,” he said.

Bayelsa Governor, Seriake Dickson, while declaring the forum open urged all multinational oil companies operating in the Niger Delta to actively localise their contents by relocating their operational bases to the area.

Dickson solicited for the involvement of more indigenes in the oil operations by multinational companies.